Norwood penrose



Agni-ten y tnta gsteut @frn N ORWOOD PENROSE, `OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLYANIA. Leners Patent No. 66,624, and July 9, 1867.

IMPROVED SELF-BAILING SURF AND LIl'l-BOA'I.I

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CQNCJIERN:- 4 u Be it knownthat I, NORWOOD PENROSE, of the city of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful improvement in Self-Railing Surf and Life-Beats; and I do hereby declareV that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which an amidships section only of the said improved boat is shown- Figurc l being a vertical longitudinal section on the dotted line n: of iig. 3.

Figure 2, a vertical transverse section on the dotted line y of the same figure; and

Figure 3, a plane view of the upper or floor side of the said amidships section of the boat-- Like letters of reference indicating the same parts when in the different figures.

The two ends of the boat are intended to be elevated in the usual manner required in. a self-righting life-boat, and alsoA thwhoic length of the boat between the said ends partitioned both longitudinally and transversely, so as to divide it into several water-tight compartments; 4and cach of which, as Well as the ends, to contain an accurately fitting air-tigbt elastic case, substantially in the same manner and for the same purposes as will hereinafter be explained in describing the amidships section shown in the drawings.

'.lhe object of my invention is to cause the boat to relieve herself ofshipped water in a ymore perfect and rapid'manner than heretofore, and to provide against the boats becoming water-logged in case of leaks in the compartments, or in case of any of them becoming stove in launching or in boarding a wreck, lite. My invention consists in providing a well or trunk, say about one-fourth of the length of overall," running fore and aft, amidships, and vertically -down through the floor, which is above the water line, and also through. the keel, in combination with any suitable self-acting valve or valves opening downward in its upper end so as to allow the water which may be shipped to run rapidly and freely down through the same, and preventits return, substantially-as hereinafter described. 4

My invention also consists in providing oneor more similar trunks extending obliquely downward through both the starboard and larboard sides ofthe floor, respectively, and opening at a point just above the keelson, into a well or trunk opening down through the keel, and also having self-acting valves at their upper ends, opening downward, substantially as in the amidships" well before mentioned. l

Amlmy invention also consists in providing each separate compartment of the boat with an interior lair tight elastic case, conforming to the respective compartments,substantially as hereinafter described and set forth.

Referring to the drawings, A is the amidships well or trunk, and a a the valves thereof; B B the oblique trunks, communicating with A, and b" b b b" the valves thereof; C C are the compartments into which the boat is divided, and D D the elastic air-tight cases within the compartments. The well or trunk A is similar in construction, arrangement, and location to the well-known centre-board well. It is a vertical opening in the middle of the boat, extending down through theoor und keel -in a waterrtight manner, and is about onefourth of the length overall. (See figs. 1 and 2.) Its upper end is provided with any suitable self-acting valve or valves, a a'.` In this case the valves are suspended from a ronud bar, 2, on which they tilt downward, as indicated by the dotted lines in iig. 2, by the pressure of anywater that may he on the floorE of the boat, thus allowing the water to pass freely and rapidly down into the well and immediately afterward closing` and preventing any discharge of water upon the floor E from below by surging up through therwell A during the pitching or rolling of the boat in a heavy surf. The upper ends ofthe oblique ,trunks B Bopen, respectively, through the starboard and larhoard sides of the loor E, and, extending obliquely downward, their lower ends open directly into the amid'ships wcll'A, at points a little above the keelson. (See iigs. 1 and 2.) Their upper ends are provided with self-acting valves b 12', operating in the same manner and for the same purposes as those in the well A. y I

The keel is intendedito be made of metal, and therefore heavier than is usual `in surf and life-boats. The trunk which forms the well A passes from the door or deck E vertically downward through the keelson and the keel, and therefore opens along in the middle of lthe latter, and affords an ample and ready outlet for all the water that may be shipped, without in the least interfering with or impairing thestilfness and strength of the bottom of the boat, or subjecting the said trunk or well to be either choked up or damaged in running the boat aground.

The elastic.air-eontaining'cases D D are each made of dat plates, say a quarter or three-eighths of an inch thick, more or less, of vulcanized gum-elastic, eut to correspond with the forms of the inner boundaries of the sides and ends of the respective bulk-heads and compartments ofthe boat, and then cemented, together at their edges sii as to forni strong, closed, air-holding elastic cases, which will tit within and be retained by the said` respective bulk-heads and compartments. (See figs. 1 and 2.)

Operation.

IAs this improved boat has elevated, buoyant ends or air-containing bulk-heads, and several or separate aircontaining compartments below the deck or floor, and also an eXtra strong and heavy kee'l, asdescribed, she' cannot become water-logged nor be easily capszed in a rough sea and when the latter happens., the boat 'willl right herself almost instantly, and discharge all the shipped water in less time than halt` a minute'. She cannet lie on her beam ends on the surface of the sea, but instantly on rising falls into such a position as brings 4the mouth-0r valve end of the submerged oblique trunk B or B higher than its outlet or point ofjunetion withthe amidships well A, and, as the water in that side of the boat becomes diminished in quantity by finding its level with the waterlinel in running down through the said oblique trunk,the self-righting and bailing operationk increases in rapidity, and ultimately brings the valv'cd mouth of the amidships well A into a position to aid more eii`cctivelyin the discharge of the whole of the water. And, should the boat spring a leak or become steve at any part, in launching, or in boarding a wreck, the elastic air-containing eases D will yield to the 'impact suiliciently to prevent them from being broken through thereby, and, reacting, recover their original bulkand Athus eifectuallyprevent the boat from becoming either swamped, water-logged, or impaired in buoyancy in any lappreciable degree. Besides the superior self-righting and self-hailing qualities of this boat, it will be readily" seen that as the only opening for the discharge of the shipped water is confined to the keel, the bottom -of the boat remains perfect, z'. c., it is not impaired o r weakened by the cutting cf openings through it for dischargetubes or trunks, as is required in those boats which discharge through their bottoms.

- I am aware that tubes connected with openings therefor in the bottom of the boat hai'e been applied for discharging the shipped water, as in Francis patent of July 11, 1839, andinWadsworths boat, rejected December 23, 1854; that air-tight compartments have been placedin the sides and on the'inner bottom of a boat, asin the said Wadsworths application; that air-chambers open at the bottom have been applied, as inShears patent' .of May 25, 1858; and that a twin or double boat, consisting of a longitudinal central ballast-chamber, arrangedbetween, two longitudinal iioating air-chambers, having open vertical tubes for discharging shipped water through v each of the latter, lias been produced, as shown in the patent of J. R. Grace, March 6, 1860; therefore, I do,

not-'desire toclaim broadly the application of air-chambers either to the ends, sides, or bottom of a boat, non dividing the boat into separate compartments; neither do I desire to claim broadly the discharging of thel shipped. water through the bottom of the boat, nor the application of water-proof lining to the different com-- partments of a life and surf-boat; but, having fully described my improvement, and pointed out its superior utility, whatI claim as new, of my invention, and desire to Secure by Letters Patent, is confined-to the following, viz: v

1. I claim, in a self-righting and bailing surf and life-boat, provided with a heavy keel and elevated buoyant ends in the usual manner, the amidships trunk orwell A,in combinati-on with a de ck or floor, E, and any suitable automatic valve, a, at its upper end, the said trunk or well A passing vertically downward through the kcelson and the keel of the boat, substantially as described and set forth for the purpose specified.

2. I claim,- in a self-righting Yand hailing surf and life-boat provided with a heavy keel and elevated buoyant ends in the usual manner, the oblique trunks B B', in combination with a deck or iloor, E, and any suitable automatic valves at their upper ends, the said oblique trunks extending from the starboard and larboard'sides, respectively, of the floor or deck, and opening into a vertical trunk or well, A, at points just above the kelson of the boat, so as to discharge their water vertically through the keel of the boat, substantially as described and set forth. I I

3.v I also claim, in combination `with a self-righting and hailing life and surf-boat, the air-containing elastic cases D, the same being constructed as described, and applied within the respective compartments and bulk-headsl of the boat, as and for the purpose specified. I v

i i NORWOOD PENROSE.

Witnesses:

BENJ. M'onrsoN, Wn. H.- Momson. 

